Tell Me I'm Only Dreaming
by WhiteRose0925
Summary: a different take on the school shooting in season 3, brucas, breyton friendship
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing :D

Takes place during school shooting.

Peyton felt her arm urgently tugged downward as the glass before her shattered. It was all happening so quickly, the blur and commotion of it all striking her at once. The shot of the gun left her ears ringing while bodies frantically raced in every direction seeking self preservation. The screams were terrifying and the pounding of scrambled footsteps created more confusion in her mind. The only thing that kept her grounded was the grip Brooke had on her arm. While the strength of it expressed her friend's fear and anxiety, the reminder that she was close by was comforting. She was having a hard time keeping her thoughts straight, trying desperately to figure out what was happening.

As the noise began to dissipate and most made their way out of the building, she heard a small gasp of pain nearby. Snapping herself out of her mind-freezing daze, Peyton looked around. Next to her, lay Brooke, shaking terribly and holding her stomach tightly. It took a moment for the whole thing to set in but the realization that her childhood friend had been injured petrified her.

"Peyton – you've got-to get – outta-----here" Brooke gasped, choking on her words. Her voice sprung Peyton into action. It was all she could do not to break down as she watched the tears fall from the trembling girl's eyes – she wasn't going to let her down.

"You've got that right," she said shakily as she pulled her sweatshirt out of her backpack and tied it tightly around her friend's waist, trying her best to ignore the gasps of pain it caused.

"Ok B. Davis, get your ass up and let's get out of here" she said as she carefully helped her up. She could see the mind power and courage it was taking Brooke to stand but dwelling on the pain wasn't going to save them.

"Peyton, I'm slowing you down. Really, I'm already down. Just get out of h-" Brooke tried to protest but Peyton merely wrapped her arm tightly around her friend's waist to both stop the bleeding and support her as she kept her close.

"Shut up and work with me. We're getting out of here so just deal with it, come on, Lucas will be worried sick" she said with determination. Step by step they made their way down the long hallway. As much as Peyton wanted to start up some kind of confidence boosting conversation, she knew it was taking all of Brooke's energy and will power to keep up with her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2--

They slipped into the library as quietly as possible, careful not to let the door slam. Peyton gently rested her friend in an arm chair, sensing she needed a quick break before they continued. The stop also gave her a chance to think about their escape route. She didn't know where the shooter was now, or if the police had arrived yet. There was no telling which way would bring them to safety.

Peyton looked down at Brooke. She had paled considerably and her eyes were drooping.

"Come on, Brooke. Stay awake. You can do this! We're almost out of here," Peyton said enthusiastically, squatting down to look her in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Peyton…. For every-thing." Brooke mumbled as she attempted to make eye contact.

"No, no, you're not getting off the hook that easily. We have some things to discuss if you want to get into apologies so you just wait till you're better and then I'll let you have it" Peyton replied jokingly, trying to coax a smile.

"Don't be silly, we both know what's happening," Brooke whispered sadly. Of course they both knew what was happening, and it was terrifying, but Peyton refused to go there just yet.

"All I see is you being a lazy ass. Come on. This could be a whole lot worse. We just need to get you out of here. Help is just outside" she said, putting another layer of courage on her face as she started to lift her friend from the chair.

"Whatever you say, but I still think you're crazy" Brooke replied as she leaned on her for support. The two of them headed to the other side of the library to the doors that led to an exit hallway.

"Come on! We're almost there!" Peyton panted as Brooke quickly ran out of energy and depended on the support of her friend more and more.

"Damn it! The doors are locked! Shit! How effing convenient! Okay, it's okay, we'll be fine. We just have to go back to the other door. It's a detour but we can do it" Peyton said, calming herself out loud. They turned and had made it half way back across the room when they heard a voice.

-----

"Brooke! Peyton!" it called. Lucas came running towards them from the door they entered through.

"Hey, Broody" Brooke whispered with tears in her eyes as he grew nearer.

"My god, what happened?" he asked worriedly as he held Brooke's face in his hands. She was cold to the touch and clammy, several shades paler than her usual porcelain and when he looked in her eyes, her pupils were dilated. She was fading.

"She was shot" Peyton answered, seeing her friend slowly slipping away. Lucas's heart stopped for at least a minute.

His pretty girl.

This had to be all just one bad dream. Brooke was fine. He's at home, asleep in bed. Not here. Not now. He could lose her. He was losing her. He could feel her leaving him. No, don't go there. It wasn't over just yet.

"Come on, let's get her out of here" he said as he tried his hardest to push all of his thoughts and feelings deep down. He scooped up his girl friend, holding her close in silent prayer that as long as he held her she would be fine, and quickly made his way to the doors.

As the three of them stepped back into the hall, they heard a shot go off. Lucas' blood ran cold as he held Brooke closer. Peyton clutched his arm and even Brooke stirred.

"It's ok, Pretty Girl. I'm gonna get you out of here," he said reassuringly as he looked down at her.

"Be careful, Broody" she whispered tiredly with the smallest of smiles on her lips.

"Always for you" he replied quietly as he squared his shoulders and chose a direction. "Okay, let's go this way and hope for the best," he said with determination as he lengthened his stride, making sure Peyton was right behind him. They walked quickly in silence. He kept looking down, making sure Brooke was keeping her eyes open, "Come on baby, stay with me, just a little longer" he pleaded.

"Brooke, do you remember when I broke my arm on the playground in 3rd grade? I was a complete mess, crying my eyes out and screaming for my mom. And while the teacher called my dad and the ambulance, you sat by me and held me, told me to calm down. You said that while my mom's watching over me, you'd be here next to me. You said I had to be strong and brave and a big girl that you believed in me and that you'd stick by me every step of the way. I would have been a mess if it hadn't been for you. I had been so scared and lost and you stepped in right when I needed you. I need you to do this for me, I need you to hang in there and stay strong." Peyton said as she walked closely along side her friend.


	3. Chapter 3

(ok

(ok… I know this has taken me a deliriously ridiculous amount of time but I was busy with other stuff and couldn't think of the proper way to continue this, sorry for the delay and thank you so much for all of your reviews!!)

Lucas could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He could hear Brooke's pained shallow breaths and Peyton's panicked ones. All he could see before him were the endless halls, having been so ordinary only the day before, turn into a confusing maze of tunnels.

When he arrived at school that day all he had had on his mind was the English paper he'd forgotten at home and thoughts of his girlfriend whom he had been anxious to see again.

Now he was stuck in this nightmare, praying for his girlfriend's life was well as his own safe return to the outside world. Only problem was, he wasn't waking up.

--

The school was silent as the three of them made their way down the familiar halls. Peyton couldn't believe she was actually living this. This whole scenario was only supposed to be seen on the news or in a movie. Something like this was only heard about; it's not supposed to happen to you. This had to be all in her head.

As she looked around, the lockers lining the hallway were all a blur. It was as if things weren't moving fast enough. She was caught in slow motion. She wanted things to move faster so she could get the hell out of there but the thought of making any noise scared her. The problem was her mind was racing. She was on autopilot, allowing Lucas to lead her as she stayed as close to him as possible. _This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. Wake up!_

No, dreams weren't creative enough to include the strangled sound of her best friend trying to breath, or the look of fear and desperation on Lucas's face, nor the feeling of suspense as they walked the halls. In dreams, somehow the dreamer always has a sense of what's going to happen because the vision is a creation of their own imagination, there can really be no surprises. Peyton had no idea how this day was going to end.

--

You know that really weak feeling you get after you've had the stomach flu and have been in bed for the better part of a week? It was kind of like that.

Brooke couldn't remember feeling so tired and drained before. It was surreal, like she was waiting for her body to snap out of it. But it wasn't. She was stuck in an almost paralyzed state. She could barely feel her boyfriend's arms around her now. She had lost the feeling in her legs. She had gotten cold, now she was freezing and it was a constant reminder that something weird was happening to her – something she never thought she'd have to experience. She tried to tell herself that if she only allowed sleep to consumer her, things would be normal again when she woke up. This all had to be in her head or something. It would all be over soon. But every time she tried to close her eyes, someone would tell her to stay awake, "be strong" and "hang in there."

She could hear Peyton talking to her, trying to remind her of good times, trying to keep her away from unconsciousness while Luke kept up this mantra of "You'll be ok, I promise you'll be ok." However, after a little while, it sounded like her friends were speaking through a tube, like the sound was strangely funnelled.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to go on and do something great. She and Lucas were supposed to grow up and get married and have those kids they had talked about a few times before. She had her whole life ahead of her. _Why did this have to happen? Why me?_

--

As they turned another corner, they saw someone standing a little ways down the hall. Peyton's heart stopped dead. Lucas swallowed his fear and called out

"Jimmy? Is that you?" The boy turned around. Lucas let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his old friend. "Hey, man, do you know a safe way out of here? I've been looking all over but most doors are locked." he continued. He took a few steps forward and stopped when he saw the strange, indifferent expression on the boy's face. "Jim, are you ok? You've gotta help us, Brooke's not doing so great, I've gotta get her out of here…" he trailed off as he saw the boy take a gun out of his hoody.

"Oh, so now you want to talk to me - when you need something. I see how it is. You know you've been a great friend, Lucas. You joined that god awful team and left all your friends behind. Thanks a bunch ass hole. And now you want my help. Well what if I were to tell you that I was the reason for that hole in your cheerleader girlfriend? What if I were the reason for all that blood on the both of you. What if I were the reason she'll never make it out of this school alive today? _Best Friend, _what do you think about that?" Jimmy taunted as he took a few steps closer to the three.

Lucas' heart was pounding in his ears. He could hardly hear what Jimmy was saying after he saw the gun. This couldn't be real. Jimmy was his friend; they had played basketball and gone to school together for years. This wasn't the boy he knew. He could feel Peyton latched onto his arm and held Brooke tighter. If Jimmy was mad at him, then _he_ was the reason for Brooke's injury.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy. I didn't want it to turn out this way. I always considered you a friend and unfortunately we went our separate ways. But do you really want to be responsible for someone's death? Do you want to have someone's blood on your hands? She's dying, Jim. Please, let me get her out of here," he begged, fighting back the tears that flooded his eyes at the thought of his pretty girl dying.

Jimmy stopped for a moment and looked down at Brooke. For a moment some of the stoicism left his face and he looked worried.

"She deserved it. She didn't know anything other than popularity. She had no idea what was going on with everyone else in the school, Miss Student Council President, but she knew she was popular and she had her popular friends around her and her star basketball player of a boyfriend. I shot the Queen Bee of the school. She's down. We're all free.." he trailed off, not sure how he was going to continue.

"Jimmy, what did she ever do to you? If anything, since Brooke has been president, improvements have been made. And if you think that she's just some stuck up, superficial plastic party girl, then you're wrong. Jim, there's so much more that you don't know about. And if you judge her by what you see and hear, then you're far worse than your own accusations of her. Jimmy, you know me. You know the kind of person I am. I haven't changed much. I think you've gotten your point across. Now please, let us go. I can get her help before you sentence yourself to life in prison. Please." Lucas held his eye contact with Jimmy. The boy seemed to stop for a moment to consider. Lucas could see he had worn away some of his confidence and just hoped beyond hope that some of his friend was still left in that cold shell of a killer.


	4. Chapter 4

(SORRY

(SORRY!! Once again, I'm taking my sweet time updating this… however, I do have a good reason – sorta. I've been working on two other fics I've yet to post (this fic has showed me I'm not that great at continuing so I've decided to write the whole thing, or at least most of it, before I post it). At the end of this chapter I'm posting a little synopsis of my other two so you guys can vote on which one you'd like to read first. – Now, because I've been immersed in the craziness of this season of OTH, I've kinda lost interest in this fic set in the past so it's really hard to get the chapters going. It's going to be short, and I'm sorry about that, but please read my new stuff (once I get it out there). I always seem to write the same sort of thing… which is a little sad and I'm sorry if you get tired of the same ol' theme but hopefully it will be bearable. Thank you for reading so far and I hope you'll take a look at what I have coming up next.)

Peyton closed her eyes for a moment. It was getting to be too much. This Jimmy guy had the gun; he was right down the hall. She could hear the pleading in Lucas' voice and feel the way he trembled, whether out of fear or anger. She could hear Brooke's shallow intakes of breath, praying that they wouldn't suddenly stop. She could hear an ambulance outside, as well as shouting. But in her little bubble where time had stood still as she waited for Jimmy to make up his mind, it all became too frustrating for her. The boy just stood there, she could see him glance down at Brooke from time to time, feelings of both hatred and worry crossing his face. He'd look up at Lucas, then down at the gun. He looked lost and confused. The three of them stood silently with bated breath and minds working overtime. Five minutes felt like ages as they waited. Suddenly, Lucas broke the silence.

"She's stopped breathing!" he said nervously. He was tempted to lie her down on the floor and attempt CPR but if he could just get Jimmy to let them out, she'd be in the hands of the paramedics immediately. Peyton moved in front of him and turned Brooke's face from where it was nestled in Luke's arm.

"Brooke? Brooke, wake up, sweetie!" she called, her voice shaking. Lucas looked up at Jimmy and saw the worry and panic in his eyes.

"Jimmy, I know you want to make the right choice. I know you're not the monster you're trying to be. Now, I'm not waiting any longer, I'm getting her out of here now whether you like it or not. This isn't worth both your lives, Jim," with one last look at his old friend, he started walking towards the exit across the hall. Peyton looked him right in the face as she walked next to Lucas, creating a barrier between him and the gun. Jimmy didn't move.

As they neared the doors they heard a shot go off.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lucas nearly ran out of the school and over to the ambulance.

"Please! You've gotta help her! She's been shot and isn't breathing!" he told them anxiously. They placed her on a stretcher that was immediately loaded into the ambulance before speeding off to the hospital.

"Lucas!" he heard his mother yell worriedly. "Oh, thank god you're ok!" she said, tears in her eyes as she pulled him into a hug. "And Peyton! I'm so glad!" she stopped for a moment looking around, "Where's Brooke?" she asked quietly, she hadn't seen him exit the school. He was silent for a second, during which time she looked him over and noticed the large blood stain on his shirt. Her hand came up to her mouth in shock.

"We've got to get to the hospital, I don't know if she's going to make it," he said seriously, his voice trembling as he tried to keep it together. His mother nodded and led him to the car.

The three of them, having caught up with Keith, sped to the hospital. They were directed to wait in the waiting room while they worked on Brooke in the trauma room and then brought her up to surgery. Haley and Nathan joined them shortly after. The six of them sat quietly, hoping for the best.

An hour and a half into their wait, Haley offered to make a trip to the cafeteria for them. The break in silence caused Lucas to speak up,

"What's taking so long?" he asked nobody in particular. A second later he was on his feet pacing.

"Lucas, I know you're worried and scared and frustrated but you need to be patient, they're doing all they can for Brooke. It's hard, this waiting period, but she's done it for you before," Karen said quietly, placing a hand on her son's arm. He looked up at his mother, acknowledging the accident she was refereeing to. He also realized what he had done to her after all she'd done for him. After worrying and crying and waiting for him, hoping and praying that he'd be alright, he had broken up with her. He had totally blown her off. Now he knew what she had gone through, the agony of not knowing what was going on behind closed doors, not being able to see that person you cared so much for. His heart ached for her. To be able to see her and touch her again, to see her eyes sparkle and her smile light up a room. He nodded to show his mother he understood what she was saying and took his seat.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They waited for hours, the day slowly slipping away from them. Finally a doctor came out to meet them.

"Family of Brooke Davis?" he called, Karen stood. After trying to reach Brooke's parents with numerous phone calls, she decided to take responsibility.

"I'm her aunt,"

"May I speak to you in private?" he asked gently,

"No, they're fine, we're all family, whatever you have to say they can hear," she informed him. With slight hesitation the doctor continued.

"Ms. Davis suffered some internal bleeding. We had to remove her spleen and repair some damage to her stomach but she pulled through surgery and is in recovery right now. She lost a lot of blood but overall the damage wasn't as extensive as we had feared. We're going to keep her here for the rest of the week to monitor how she heals and look out for any complications. She's sleeping right now but should wake in a few hours,"

"Can I go see her?" Lucas asked hopefully.

"Sure, just be quiet and just one person at a time," the doctor said. He gave them a sympathetic nod before heading down the hall. They all let out a breath they hadn't known they'd held.

Lucas headed into Brooke's room. It was quiet, but a peaceful quiet, not like the one he'd experienced in the school, waiting to hear the shot of a gun. She was going to be ok, his pretty girl, lying comfortably on her bed, eyes closed. That was all he needed. They'd found out from Nathan and Haley that Jimmy had shot himself. In a way he felt bad for Jimmy, having been so lost and alone, yet on the other hand he was glad the bastard got what he deserved for endangering their lives. Carefully he sat in the chair next to her bed and took her hand. She was going to be ok; they were all going to be ok. Jimmy was gone. He could breathe easy once again. Watching the rhythmic up and down of his girlfriend's chest with every breath she took, he sighed. They had survived. The nightmare was over.

The end.

I know I ended it abruptly but I never wanted to get into like… Brooke's recovery or anything like that, this was all and only about the shooting itself - the time in the school and a little bit after.

Thanks so much for reading!! I know it took me forever and I'm sorry for that L

So, here's what I have …..

I started this one at the end of last season because I wanted something more to happen with Brooke/Lucas/Angie. It's a brucas, full of drama and cute bonding with Lucas and Angie.

Then there's a more recent one that deals with the 6.01 break in at C/B. It's more Brucas friendship…. I'm not fond of pucas at all but I don't know yet whether or not I'll split them up…. Plus I'm going to add some Brathan and Baley friendship in there. … I don't think I want a Breyton friendship, though, just so you know.

I hope you'll give me an idea of which one I should post first. I will eventually have both up but neither of them is complete so once I get some feedback I'll know how to continue. Thanks again for reading and I really hope you like these 2 new ones J


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